Still Life

“His little secret was that in his mid-fifties, at the height of a long and now apparently stalled career, violent death still surprised him.”

Penny’s characterization of Gamache implies that he and, to some extent, his team members are unique within the police force. While others are hardened, cynical, and competitive, Gamache is sensitive, optimistic, and cooperative. Those qualities turn out to be more than incidental, as they provide a foundation for Gamache’s personal—and highly successful—method of investigation.

“The truth is I don’t know whether Fair Day is a brilliant example of naïve art, or the pathetic scrawling of a superbly untalented, and delusional, old woman. That’s the tension. And that’s why it must be part of the show.”

Here, the chairperson of the local art society explains her reasoning for accepting Jane’s painting. At first glance, it appears childish and immature, unschooled as Jane was in artistic technique. Over time, and throughout the novel, Jane’s art reveals a great depth of wisdom and insight, even contributing to the solving of two murders.

“No, inspector, people don’t change.”

Ben expresses his cynical view that people tend not to change. His statement turns out to be a confession of sorts, since we later learn that Ben commits murder in an attempt to keep his life—and the ease with which he lives it—from changing. His view of the possibility for personal change is contrasted with that of Myrna and Gamache.